Broil unit for top viewing oven



April 7, 1964 M ROSE, JR ETAL 3,128,363

BROIL UNIT FOR TOP VIEWING OVEN Filed Oct. 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS mwmca T. ROSE :nz. $R BERT A. KHJKLE.

THE R ATTORNEY April 7, 1964 M. T. ROSE, JR., ETAL 3,123,353

BROIL. UNIT FOR TOP VIEWING OVEN Filed Oct. 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS MAURICE T. ROSE :rR. &ROBERT A. KINKLE THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,128,363 BRQlL UNIT FOR T01 VIEWING OVEN Maurice T. Rose, Jr., and Robert A. Kinhle, Louisville,

Ky, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 234,140 3 Claims. (Cl. 219-35) The present invention'relates to the design of a heating unit of an electric oven and particularly to the top broiling unit for use in such an oven.

This invention is especially adapted for use with a domestic range that has a viewing window in the front edge of the top cooking surface that cooperates with a window in the top wall of the oven liner so that the user may stand upright in front of the range and look directly through the viewing window at the food being cooked within the oven. If standard types of broiling units were used in such an oven they would be visible through the viewing window which, of course, would obscure some of the visibility and detract from the usefulness of the window. Such an oven with a top viewing window is being disclosed and claimed in a oopending application of Kermit B. Keeling, Sr., and Walter E. Lewis which is being filed concurrently herewith, Serial No. 234,139, entitled Oven Viewing Window For Domestic Range, which is likewise assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a broiling unit for an electric oven having a top viewing window where the unit does not obscure the visibility through the top window and more even heat distribution is obtained within the oven cavity.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an oven of the class described with a double broiling unit which encircles the window so as not to obscure the visibility therethrough and which compensates for the absence of the unit in the Vicinity of the window.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an oven of the class described with a double broiling unit comprising identical but reversed heating elements so as to minimize the tooling cost.

The present invention, in accordance with one form thereof, relates to a domestic range having a coolctop supporting a plurality of surface heating units and an oven cavity located under the cooktop and comprising a box-like oven liner and a front opening door for gaining access thereto. A viewing window is formed in the front edge of the cooktop and it cooperates with a window in the top wall of the oven. liner adjacent the oven door for viewing into the oven cavity. A top heating means or broiling unit is supported within the oven liner beneath the top wall thereof and it comprises a pair of metal sheathed heating elements which are supported from the back wall of the oven liner. The back half of the heating elements extend from the back wall of the oven liner toward the front thereof and the two elements are generally parallel to each other, while the front half of the heating elements encircle the window in the top wall of the oven liner so the heating elements may not be seen readily through the viewing window. Other improvements will become apparent during the detailed explanation of the drawings which accompany this application.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a free-standing electric range having a top viewing oven window cooperating with the double broiling unit of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view looking from right to left through the top viewing window of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the double broiling unit embodying the present invention with the window in the top wall of the oven liner superimposed thereunder to ice illustrate the manner in which the heating units encircle said window;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 2 showing the means for supporting the outermost end of the heating units and the relative presence of the reflector for renadiating the heat energy toward the center of the oven cavity; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the said reflector showing the details of its construction.

Turning to a consideration of the drawing and in particular to FIGURE 1, there is shown a free-standing electric range comprising a cabinet structure or range body 10 that includes a recessed top cooking surface 11 and an oven cavity 12 as being located beneath the top cooking surface as in most standard ranges. The cooking surface 11 is shown with a plurality of surface heating units 13, it being understood that each heating unit has a separate selector switch 141 cooperating therewith for obtaining the various heating levels of the unit.

Turning attention to FIGURE 2, it should be appreciated that the oven cavity 12 is formed in the well known manner by a cooperation between a box-like oven liner 16 and a front-opening hinged door 17 for gaining access to the oven. Rather than having the oven window in the front door 17, a generally rectangular oven window 20* is located along the inclined front edge 21 of the coolctop 11. An elongated opening is formed in the inclined front edge 21 in which is fastened a stationary frame member 22 which extends around the edge of the opening as is best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. Control means for the oven heating elements are provided at each side of the frame member 22; for example, an oven selector switch 23 and an oven thermostat 24. The principal purpose of the stationary frame 22 is to support an outer window or window pane 26 which is fastened in a pivoted frame member 27 that is pivoted to the stationary frame member 22 as by hinge pins or trunnion-s 23 that extend from the opposite sides of the pivoted frame 27.

A second Window or window pane 3d of generally rectangular shape is mounted in an opening in the top wall 31 of the oven liner to adjacent the front door opening as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2. The window 30' is confined in a double frame assembly having parts 32 and 33 whic are welded together at their outermost ends to form a complete subassembly which is in turn fastened over a mating opening in the top wall 31 of the oven liner as by means of screw fasteners 34.. Extending around the periphery of the window 30 is a suitable thermal and moisture resistant gasket 35 which serves to prevent the escape of heat, moisture and vapors from the oven cavity 12.

A chute member 37 is positioned between the outer window 26 and the lower window 3% so as to confine the view to the oven cavity and to restrict the fiberglass insulation 36 around the oven liner from covering the lower window 3h. The chute 37 is supported at its top end by means of a front flange 38 that is fastened to the oven door frame 39 of the cabinet structure lit. The lower end of the chute is provided with an outwardly flared flange til which is complete with a shroud or skirt 41 that is telescoped down around the window Sll so as to prevent fiberglass insulation 36 located around the outside of the oven liner 16 from being deposited upon the top surface of the oven window Till. These flared flanges 41 are out of contact with the oven liner 16 and the window 3t), but there is one or more pointed tabs 42 of small area of contact located at the lowermost end of the chute. Such a tab serves as a foot member that bears against the top wall 31 of the oven liner so as to steady the chute against vibratory forces while at the same time restricting the amount of conduction of heat from the oven liner 16 toward the front window 26.

The second window 30 will operate at substantially the same high temperature as the oven liner since the window is fixed in the oven line-r. This temperature can easily exceed 500 F. In order to prevent convection currents from rising from tlL's second Window 34), a third window 43 is positioned over the top portion of the chute 37 to cover the chute and establish a dead air space therein. A more complete description of this top viewing oven window can be had by referring to the copendirig application of Keeling and Lewis, Serial No. 234,139, which was mentioned above.

The description of the range given above is mainly for background information since the present invention is concerned with the design of a broiling means in the form of a double broil unit 45' and 46 which is located at a short distance beneath the top wall 31 of the oven liner for providing a source of heat at the top of the oven cavity for broiling operations. Each broiling unit 45 and 46 is a metal sheathed heating unit of standard internal construction having a helically coiled resistance unit in the center thereof that is insulated by a suitable high temperature insulation such as magnesium oxide and the overall assembly is jacketed with a metal sheath. In order to reduce the cost of tools for forming the heating units 45 and 46 they are designed to be identical so that one set of tools can be used for making both heating elements. This feature also simplifies the inventory problem for replacement parts. The terminals of each unit 45 and 46 are provided with a mounting bracket such as '47 and 48 respectively, and when one unit is inverted and laterally ofi'set with respect to the other the two mounting brackets 47 and 48 are tacked together with fastening screws 50 extending through openings 49 so that the two broiling units become essentially one subassembly. These heating units are assembled in the oven by fastening the combined mounting brackets -47 and 43 over a suitable large opening (not shown) in the back wall of the oven liner 16 by assembling additional fastening screws (not shown) through other openings 49 in the brackets. The back halves of the broiling units 45 and 46 are confined in the central area and extend from the back wall of the oven liner toward the front and in a generally parallel relationship as at '51 and 52, while the front halves of the broiling units 45 and 46 are looped to encircle the window 30 in the top wall 31 of the oven liner 16 as is best seen in FIGURE 3 The main portions of the broil units 45 and 46 lie in a single horizontal plane as is best understood from FIGURE 2, and it is only the front edges which are vertically spaced from each other as at 53 and 54. This is deemed necessary because of the closeness of space between the front edge of the oven window 3d and the oven door 17. Moreover, it also simplifies the means of supporting the front portion of the broiling units 45 and 46 as by means of a pair of hangers 55 which are horizontally spaced from each other and fastened to the top wall 31 of the oven liner by several of the same screws 34 that fasten the subassembly oven window 30 to the oven liner. Each hanger 55 is provided with a pair of vertically spaced horizontal slots 56 and 57 where the uppermost front edge 53 of the broiling unit 45 is supported in slot 56 and the lowermost front edge 54 of the other broiling unit 46 is supported in slot 57. It will be understood by those skilled in this art that additional support means for the broiling units might be necessary in order to brace the units firmly in place especially against horizontal displacement, but possible designs are not being illustrated since they are considered to be an obvious expedient suspended from the top wall 31 of the oven liner.

As is clear from the cross-sectional view of FIGURE 2, the front or outermost portions of the broiling units 45 and 46 are closely associated with the oven door 17. This close spacing is necessary because of the location of the lower window 30 and the need to have the broiling units encircle the window so that the units cannot be seen through the window. This presents several problems. The first being that of safety in that the user might suffer a serious burn from touching the broiling unit while moving food in and out of the oven. Moreover, there would be a large amount of radiated heat lost through the door gap during open door broiling which would lower the heating effect of the front portions 53 and '54 of the broiling units and produce nonuniform broiling within the oven cavity. Lastly, the sight of the red hot broiling units within the door opening would tend to detract from the appearance of the oven when the door is open during the broiling operation. Accordingly, a heat shield or reflector 60 is adapted to be supported between the front portions of the broiling units 45 and 46 and the oven door 17 so as to reflect or re-radiate the heat energy of the units back toward the center of the oven cavity. The reflector 60 is so positioned and shaped that the cooking test results show generally uniform cooking pattern throughout the entire oven cavity at the level of the oven racks. In other words the results obtained by the combination of the double broiling units '45 and "46 and the reflector 6i surpass the results obtainable in standard ovens using a single broil unit without a vertical reflector adjacent the oven door.

A little more than one-half of the reflector 60 is illustrated in the perspective view of FIGURE 5 and this is the left hand portion. It should be understood that there is a bayonet slot 61 arranged at approximately the center of the reflector which cooperates with a shouldered screw member 62 of FIGURE 2. It is apparent that the crosssectional shape of the reflector is generally that of an angle member having a horizontal base 63 and a vertical ieg 64. The free edge of the horizontal base 63 is rolled back on itself as at 65 to form a beading that slips over a ledge 66 of a plate member 67. Accordingly, this bending 65 and this single support screw 62 is enough to support the reflector against any turning action or vertical movement. Likewise it is a simple matter to remove the reflector by first shifting the reflector toward the left side of the oven and then pulling it straight out of the oven so that the support screw 62 will be disengaged from the bayonet slot 61 as is best seen in FIGURE 5. A plurality of elongated slots 69 are formed in the horizontal base 63- of the reflector 60 to allow air to flow from inside the oven and out through the door gap created during open door broiling. This tends to eliminate a stagnant body of extremely hot air in the vicinity of the lower window 30.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art, therefore it is to be understood, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A domestic range comprising a cabinet structure with a top cooking surface supporting a plurality of surface heating means and a box-like oven liner built into the cabinet beneath the top cooking surface, the walls of the oven liner cooperating with a front opening door to form an oven cavity, a generally rectangular viewing window in the front edge of the cooking surface and a generally rectangular window in the top wall of the oven liner adjacent the oven door for viewing into the oven cavity, a top heating means supported within the oven liner beneath the top wall thereof, said heating means comprising a pair of generally coplanar metal sheathed heating elements which terminate in the back wall of the oven liner, where in the back half portion of the oven the elements are confined in the central area and have straight portions that extend generally from the back toward the front thereof, while in the front half portion of the oven the elements have portions forming rectangular loops around the periphery of the oven liner window so that the heating elements may not be seen readily through the viewing window, and a generally vertical reflector supported from the oven liner between the front edge of the heating elements and the oven door to re-radiate the heat energy back into the oven cavity to obtain even heat distribution therein, the front edges of the elements being vertically ofiFset one above the other, and suspension means hanging from the oven liner to engage the ofiset edges of the elements for supporting same.

2. A domestic range comprising a cabinet structure with a top cook-ing surface supporting a plurality of surface heating units, and a box-like oven liner built into the cabinet beneath the top cooking surface, the walls of the oven liner cooperating with a front opening door to form an oven cavity, a generally rectangular viewing window in the front edge of the cooking surface and a cooperating rectangular window in the top wall of the oven liner adjacent the oven door for viewing into the oven cavity, and b-roiling means supported Within the oven liner beneath the top wall thereof, said broiling means comprising a pair of identical generally coplanar metal sheathed heating elements which extend through the back wall of the oven liner, one heating element being in an inverted position with respect to the other and sidewardly displaced therefrom so that all portions of the two elements are in spaced relation to the comparable portions of the other element, the back half of the heating elements being centrally disposed within the oven and extending from the back wall of the oven liner toward the front in generally parallel lines, the front half of the heating elements being formed in rectangular loops around the periphery of the oven liner Window so that the heating elements may not be seen readily through the viewing window, and support means on the top wall of the oven liner for engaging the front edges of the heating elements, the front edge of one element being vertically disposed over the front edge of the other element.

3. A domestic range comprising a cabinet structure having a top cooking surface supporting a plurality of surface heating units and a box-like oven liner built into the cabinet beneath the cooking surface, the walls of the oven liner cooperating with a front opening door to form an oven cavity, a generally rectangular viewing window in the front edge of the cooking surface cooperating with a second generally rectangular window in the top wall of the oven liner adjacent the oven door for viewing into the oven cavity, broiling means supported within the oven liner and beneath the top wall thereof, said broiling means comprising a pair of identical metal sheathed heating elements having their terminal ends supported in the back wall of the oven liner, the heating elements in the back half portion of the oven cavity being confined in the central portion thereof and extending in generally parallel lines from the back wall of the oven liner toward the front thereof, the front portion of the heating elements looping around the periphery of the oven liner window so that the heating elements may not be seen through the viewing window, one heating element being inverted over the other with one element laterally olfset with respect to the other whereby the main portion of each heating element lies in a single common plane, while the front edge of each heating element is vertically offset from the other so that the two heating elements are asymmetrical and spaced from each other along their entire lengths, and support means on the top wall of the oven liner for supporting the front edges of the heating elements, and a generally vertical reflector supported from the oven liner between the front edges of the two heating elements and the oven door for re-radiating the heat energy back into the oven cavity to obtain even heat distribution therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A DOMESTIC RANGE COMPRISING A CABINET STRUCTURE WITH A TOP COOKING SURFACE SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF SURFACE HEATING MEANS AND A BOX-LIKE OVEN LINER BUILT INTO THE CABINET BENEATH THE TOP COOKING SURFACE, THE WALLS OF THE OVEN LINER COOPERATING WITH A FRONT OPENING DOOR TO FORM AN OVEN CAVITY, A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR VIEWING WINDOW IN THE FRONT EDGE OF THE COOKING SURFACE AND A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR WINDOW IN THE TOP WALL OF THE OVEN LINER ADJACENT THE OVEN DOOR FOR VIEWING INTO THE OVEN CAVITY, A TOP HEATING MEANS SUPPORTED WITHIN THE OVEN LINER BENEATH THE TOP WALL THEREOF, SAID HEATING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF GENERALLY COPLANAR METAL SHEATHED HEATING ELEMENTS WHICH TERMINATE IN THE BACK WALL OF THE OVEN LINER, WHERE IN THE BACK HALF PORTION OF THE OVEN THE ELEMENTS ARE CONFINED IN THE CENTRAL AREA AND HAVE STRAIGHT PORTIONS THAT EXTEND GENERALLY FROM THE BACK TOWARD THE FRONT THEREOF, WHILE IN THE FRONT HALF PORTION OF THE OVEN THE ELEMENTS HAVE PORTIONS FORMING RECTANGULAR LOOPS AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE OVEN LINER WINDOW SO THAT THE HEATING ELEMENTS MAY NOT BE SEEN READILY THROUGH THE VIEWING WINDOW, AND A GENERALLY VERTICAL REFLECTOR SUPPORTED FROM THE OVEN LINER BETWEEN THE FRONT EDGE OF THE HEATING ELEMENTS AND THE OVEN DOOR TO RE-RADIATE THE HEAT ENERGY BACK INTO THE OVEN CAVITY TO OBTAIN EVEN HEAT DISTRIBUTION THEREIN, THE FRONT EDGES OF THE ELEMENTS BEING VERTICALLY OFFSET ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, AND SUSPENSION MEANS HANGING FROM THE OVEN LINER TO ENGAGE THE OFFSET EDGES OF THE ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING SAME. 